The intersection of Sports & Islam

Muslim sports figures react to Trump’s election victory

The battle lines were drawn pretty clearly between United States presidential candidate Donald Trump and Muslim American citizens ahead of the country’s Nov. 8, 2016, election day.

Throughout his “Make America Great Again” campaign, Trump’s words and the actions of his supporters at rallies across the nation left no uncertainty that Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims was a significant part of the Republican nominee’s platform.

In response, plenty of prominent Muslims inside the U.S. and out — from politicians to scholars, entertainers to athletes — took a strong public stance against Trump.

U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, wrote on Twitter the day before the election: “Help #MakeAmericaGreatAgain! Trump wants Muslims to report, so let’s all report straight to the polls! Hate is no match for us.”

After Trump pulled off a stunning — yet not surprising — victory on Nov. 8, Muslim sports figures (like everyone else) had some strong reactions to the news and what may be ahead for the next four to eight years under President-Elect Trump.

“He divided us, so he has to bring us back together,” said Isa Abdul-Quddus, a defensive back for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, in the Palm Beach Post.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to do all the crazy stuff that he said he wants to do,” Abdul-Quddus said. “I think a lot of it was for getting votes. I don’t think he was actually trying to do a lot of those things. But just to hear those negative things about minorities and different religions isn’t what America stands for.”